BELAGAVI: Disqualified MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi’s brother and former minister Satish Jarkiholi asserted that no member of the Jarkiholi family was responsible for the government’s collapse. The Congress leader from Gokak said he was aware of the inside manoeuvring which led to the fall of the coalition government, and would reveal them at an appropriate time.
Terming all speculation about the Jarkiholi brothers’ involvement in destabilising the coalition government “false”, he said: “The brothers should not be blamed for what happened to the previous government. I am aware of the secrets that led to the fall of coalition government. There is one ‘special thing’ that led to the collapse. And I will reveal it at an appropriate time.’’
Satish also welcomed the disqualification of three disgruntled MLAs, including his brother Ramesh, and said the coalition government would have survived if the MLAs had been disqualified earlier.
He said that although he had alerted party leaders about BJP’s Operation Lotus to destabilise the coalition government, none of the leaders took him seriously. He said the Congress would have emerged successful if it had resorted to a “reverse poaching operation’’.